New product development has been considered a key success factor for
today's businesses. Long term survival of many manufacturing organizations
depends on how successful organizations are introducing new products to compete
in existing markets or in creating new markets. Despite the importance of new
product development, many manufacturing organizations face a limited
understanding of the relationship between manufacturing capabilities and new
product success. This study examined the relationship between manufacturing
flexibility and new product performance.
Eight dimensions of manufacturing flexibility and three measures of new
product performance were identified and the relationships among these variables
were examined. Impact of new product type, value creation mode, and
manufacturing system on the relationships was also assessed. A survey of the U.S.
electronic manufacturing industry was conducted. Data obtained was statistically
analyzed to provide valid and reliable measures for research variables and to test
the hypothesized relationships.
This study supports the multidimensionality of flexibility and the existence
of a hierarchy among flexibility dimensions. A suggested hierarchy of
manufacturing flexibility is offered. Manufacturing flexibility was found to be
more positively correlated with market success than with quality, cost or delivery.
The difference between quality and cost and delivery was found to be insignificant.
For more radical products, manufacturing flexibility was found to be more
positively correlated with product performance. Another finding suggested that
manufacturing flexibility is more positively correlated with product performance in
a product focused environment than in a process focused or market focused
environment. Manufacturing flexibility was found to be more positively correlated
with product performance in a market focused than in a process focused
environment. Another result suggested that the level of positive correlation
between manufacturing flexibility and new product performance is higher in a Line
Flow manufacturing system and in a Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) than in
any other manufacturing system. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/30980 |
| Date | 15 October 2003 |
| Creators | Larso, Dwi |
| Contributors | Doolen, Toni L. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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